Is Protecting Watersheds Good for Business?

Restore America's Estuarieshas done extensive research on the links between estuarine restoration and benefits to the national and local economies. See their detailed breakdown in the report Jobs & Dollars.

See Sarasota Bay Estuary Program's local restoration efforts

The health of Sarasota Bay is influenced for better or worse by activities that occur upstream. Lakewood Ranch is an award winning master planned community which is a portion of the larger 32,000 acre Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, and home of diversified business operations in agriculture, mining, and real estate. The development team of Schroeder-Manatee Ranch (SMR) led by Rex Jensen has made Lakewood Ranch one of Florida’s fastest selling, fully integrated, master-planned communities. SMR has been pro-active in establishing and promoting a community that represents smart growth and green building. SMR’s development plan was selected by Sarasota County to be the first village approved for development as a part of the county’s 2050 plan allowing development east of I-75. Jensen is credited with designing the state’s first multi-county Stewardship District, which was signed into law in 2005. This page discusses the relevance of the Bay to the operations of SMR and the operations of SMR to the Bay. Particular emphasis is given to the interdependence between the environment and the economy.

Submitted by: Rex Jensen, Schroeder-Manatee Ranch